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Lords Exemplar
"Brothers, today the daemon host has summoned two Bloodthirsters, the Inquisitor says all hope for this world is lost and our Ultramarine brothers agree with him.. I respectfully say that they have lost sight of what we are fighting for. This is one world yes, one of countless millions, but we are not fighting for this world my brothers. We are fighting for the Emperor's own honor, we are fighting for his sacrifice. So my brothers, today I will go forth in His name and with His rightousness, and I will banish these daemons from His relm. I need not ask if you are with me my brothers, for you are Lords Exemplar and I know that you would accept nothing less than our total destruction before we admit defeat to the enemies of Man."- ''The Lord Commander of the Lords Exemplar during the Daemon Invasion of Diana Prime The Lords Exemplar are a Codex Complient, 5th founding, Space Marine Chapter of Ultramarine stock. Lords Exemplar are the embodyment of a Space Marines noble heretage, and like true sons of Gulliman are expert taticans each. Though often regarded by their brothers as micromanaging prefectionists, the Lords Exemplar have proven themselves to be born leaders to a man, and are as strong in mind as they are in soul and body. Each Battle Brother of the Lords Exemplar is many warriors and one at the same time, taking the Codex Astartes lesson of tatical flexibilty quite litterally, thus they are equiped for every possible senario and spend all their time off the feild training in ever more difficult areas of combat until they have mastered it all. Every consept, every style, every stratagy is to be studied and if possible improved upon until the Marine in question is beyond a expert in its use. Thus Lords Exemplar pride themselves on being one of the most able Chapters in existance, capable of taknig on any foe in any situation. Their Gene-Seed is incredably pure, save for one imperfection that the Chapter cannot escape, the Betcher's Gland in Lords Exemplar. Rather than producing acid, the Betcher's Gland in Lords Exemplar Space Marines secrets an extremely potent neurotoxin, known as White Lotus for its coloration and aroma, this venom can kill an Ork Warboss in a minute and any being that is around a humans size will be dead before it hits the floor if this venom contacts the skin. This mutation is hidden shamfully by the Chapter and some Marines even opt for the defective organ to be removed by the Apothocaries, but most, dedicated wholly to the consept of combat flexiblity, regard White Lotus as a useful tool. The Chapter is loyal to the High Lords and the Inquastion and no other, this has caused some friction with other, more indipendant, Chapters in the past. A perfect example of this was when the Lords Exemplar turned their guns on the Space Wolves centuries ago. (an event that would leave both Chapters farily bitter towards one another) Though strictly Codex Complient, the Chapters Chaplens and Librarians, known as Paladins, make up an elite force of the most deadly fighters the Chapter has and are headed by the Lord Commander himself. The Paladins are their own Company in many ways and have their own ranks and priviligaes apart from the rest of the Chapter. Even mighty 1st Company Vetrerans are novices when compaired to the Paladins, whos sheer skill and veristilty make them second to none in the relm of battle, a single Paladin Squire (the lowest rank of this prestigous order) is capable of turning the tide of battle. History Founding/Danis Secundus The Lords Exemplar were of the Fith Founding and thus their purpose and overall misson is unknown. However the Chapter has been defending the Galatic East since its creation. The Chapters homeworld of Danis Secundus lies at the northern most border of the Relm of Ultramar and is a planet ripe with life, most of the planet garden world of lush forests, warm seas and mighty mountains, however the western half of the worlds single contenent is covered in deadly wasteland, here vicous animal life and harsh terrain are only broken up by massive obsidian barrens and volcanic fissures . The humans who inhabit this fudal world are not without strife however, they are locked in a constant battle with vicous native xenos known as the Naug or "Brute" who reside in the western areas. These primitve beasts were spared by the Imperium due to the cultural imperitive they provided, as Danis Secundus's human population produced some of the finest hand to hand fighters the Imperium had ever seen, without the Naug there would be no threat and the people of this planet would become much less valuble to the Imperium. When the Lords Exemplar claimed this planet (and its recently discovered Star Fort that orbited within its asteroid belt) the Naug were left alive for the same reasons and play an important role in the Chapters culture. Danis Secondus's various noble houses constantly jocky for the favor of its local Imperial Governer which maintains the Imperiums basic rule on the planet, the noble house with the Governers blessing becomes the most powerful and thus is better equipped to deal with the maurading Naug. House Drisus has ruled to world for well over two hundred years and not only has the Governers blessing but also has won the favor of the Lords Exemplar. As a part of the Chapters traditon, a group of twelve Lords Exemplar Astartes, known as the House Paladins, guard the ruling Noble with their lives. This traditon began early in the Chapters ancient history, as millienia ago a great uprising threated to destroy Danis Secundus. A group of rouge houses calling themselves "The Allience of Change" tamed the Naug through Tzeentchen sorcery and under the Lord of Changes infulence rose up against the loyalist houses. At the forfront of the Imperial resistance was a young duchess by the name of Silvia Drisus, her family mudered by Tzeentchen assassins and the current Imperial Governer under the rebles sway. Most of the Lords Exemplar were out of the system on a priority mission for Ordo Xenos that is still secret to this day, only a small group from the 6th Companies Chaplens (later given the honorable title of Paladin) and most of the Lords Exemplars serfs were all that could respond to the massive threat brewing on their own recruiting world that they held dear. The twelve Chaplens did what they could against all odds and would not bombard the planet from orbit as they were bound and determined to outlast the traitors until the 7th and 6th Companies could respond. All hope seemed lost, all other bastions had been overrun and all that stood between the tratiors and golbal domination was a force of 1,000 Loyalist warriors and 200 chapter serfs. With defeat certain, the twelve marines tryed to convince Silvia to evacuated her world for the safty of the Star Fort, she respectfully declined, she would not abandon her people, even if it ment certain death. In awe of this mortal womans bravery the Space Marines vowed to fight under her command until their dying breath. Soon the traitors, led by their corrupt warlord, burst through the doors to the duchesses throne room. The Space Marines slew all of the triator lords personal forces with ease but the heretic had a trick up his sleeve, with one arcane chant bule lighting struck down the twelve Marines. Yet Silvia showed no fear, even as the traitor boasted of his Gods power, of his own dark sorcery, she stood silent but defient. Her final words were hails to the Emperor before the sorcer struck her down, and sealed his own damnation. As he gloated and priased Tzeentch's dark name, one Space Marine rose to his feet, the rightous fury of the God Emperor himself flowing through him. A mighty duel ensued, arcane warpfire and lighting matched by holy rays and fire, in the end the socrer would be cleaved in two by the marines power sword. But there was no rejoicing, no rush of victory, the Space Marine hung his head low, he had failed. The woman whos faith he was certain would win the day, lay dead. Sorrow, greif, anger, as these very human emotions ripped through the marine for the first time in eons he said a prayer to the Emperor, and Silvia Drisus rose. Later this Marine would become the Lord Commander that now leads the Lords Exemplar and the elite Paladin order, and St.Silvia Drisus now rules over Danis Secundus in the Emperors holy name. Age of Apostasy The Lords Exemplar tried not to become embroiled in the events of the Age of Apostasy but eventually the Lords Exemplar became vocal critics of Goge Vandires influence but did not take direct action until a force from the Fraternis Templar assisted by then Brides of the Emperor (Later Sisters of Battle) assaulted the Chapters homeworld, the assault was swiftly crushed and the Lords Decended upon the Ecclesiary with its trademark ruthless fury. As a result, in spite of the Lords Exemplars unquestionable faith in the Emperor (though they, like many other Space Marine Chapters maintain that He was not divine but simply a human that had reached perfection) they have a very shakey at best relationship with the Ecclesiary and some older Battle Brothers hold the Imperial Cult in contempt and the Chapters Paladins have seperated themselves from the Ecclesiary entirely, teaching their Battle Brothers the chapters own reivised (yet non-herteical) verson of the Imperial Cult. The Trodan Incident When the Lords Exemplars Paladins awnsered the call of a now classified Ordo Malleus Inquisitor, they never expected that they would be brought to the brink of civil war with the Space Wolves. The Inquisitor in question had led the Paladins to the Daemon World of Tordan deep within the Galatic North due to the chapters famed purity and skill...or so the Marines were told. In reality the Inquisitor had been daemon possessed and would enact a ritual that would summon a Daemon Prince of Chaos Undivided and an army of daemons with sufficent numbers as to overrun the Segmentum Solar. The Lords Exemplars Paladins and their Lord Commander were to be sacrifices to the dark gods. But before the Inquisitor could use his personal army of courrupted Inquisitorial Storm Troopers and reporgramed Robot Cohorts to cut the Space Marines down, a force from the Space Wolves Iron Wolves Great Company decended upon the world. The Space Wolves had learned of this Inquisitors trechery after twelve of their own were sacrificed for the Inquisitors possession on a mission to clense and unamed agriworld of heretic filth, the Space Wolves relentlessly tracked the Inquisitor without alerting the Inquastion itself. (in true Space Wolf fashion) The Paladins, shocked that the Space Wolves would dare attack Inquisuatoral forces engaed in violent skirmishes against the Space Wolves on behalf of the Inquisitors forces, while the false Inquisitor prepaired the summoning. It was only when daemons began to pour from the ruins of the world that the Lords Exemplar realized their blunder. Quickly setting aside the now firey animosity the two Chapters felt for one another, the Space Marines eliminated the Inquisitor and his forces before the full daemon host could be brought into this reality. The Space Wolves lost thirty Space Marines that day while the Lords Exemplar had lost thirteen Paladins, needless to say from that day onward the two Chapters despise one another and will never work together under any circumstance. Weapons/Tatics The Lords Exemplar specialize in being extremely flexible in battle and in being brilliant taticans, as such they work well alone or in command of another force. They are even known to train for scenarios that arn't specificly mentioned in the Codex Astartes and as such have their own modified codex. As the Chapter puts a high emphisis on flexibility combi-weapons are nearly standard issue and they have a considerable stockplie of exotic ammuntion. Lords Exemplar also have their power armor slightly modified to have multipule weapons compartments, from wrist blades, to no less than several compartments for combat knives, ammuniton, and explosives. Also most Lords Exemplars have special high pressure pumps intagrated into their helmets so that they may use their inate venom while being completly protected. In battle the Lords Exemplar's sheer flexibility and tatical acumen, along with near endless preperation and training make these Space Marines ready for any and all possible scenarios and makes them nigh unfazeable combatants. Chapter Fleet The Lords Exemplar have maintained quite a mighty fleet, bearing millions of support craft and a sizeable battle group of heavy cruisers. However the Chapters pride and flagship is the ''Regal Tempest, a mighty Battle Barge that as served since the Great Crusaide. The Chapters mobile Star Fort, The Keep, is rarely if ever seen away from the Chapters home system. However, it is a powerful vessle none the less and has bested Ork, Calipsian, and Eldar fleets in the past. Chapter Culture Regal Exemplars are all as close to living weapons as a Space Marine can be, wholly devoted to battle and training and nothing else. They do not endulge in any leasiures whatsoever, even their meals are nothing more than bland grule that, while nutritous and filling, is hardly enjoyable. However, the Chapter is known to have an asthetic side, taking pride in their apperence and always trying to live up to the image that they have cultivated for centuries. The Lords Exemplar are notiorusly suspicous of psykers and other Warp affiliated beings, as it was Chaos sorcerers who nearly brought their recruiting world to ruin. However, they do not show zelous hatred against such individuals, as the Emperor himself was a psyker. This, to the Lords Exemplar, proves that Psykers can be the undoing of the Chaos Gods and the foes of the Imperium, Psykers must simply be disaplened beyond all tempation.. then and only then may they be fully accepted by the Lords Exemplar. Thus Lords Exemplar only trust their own Scribes (Libraians) wholly and regard other Psykers with sucspion, but not abject hatred like the Black Templars. Those who belive the Lords Exemplar perfectionists and in this they are beyond correct, Lords Exemplar spend all of their free time in extremely harsh and often self imposed training, pushing their superhuman bodies and minds to the limits and beyond. They also spend whole days maintaining their wargear, every inch of a Lords Exemplars armor is spotless and cared for with the utmost dillagance, and their weapons are beyond maintained.As a result the Chapter has very few Tech-Marines, as all battle brothers are capable of totally disasembling and reassembling their wargear with ease and are all schooled in basic battlefeild matinance. Chapter Serfs are looked upon fondly within the Chapter and each Marine has a team of at least four that acommpany him everywhere when the Space Marine is not on the feild of battle. These Serfs assist the Space Marine with his ever difficult training. As such Lords Exemplar Space Marines develop a close bond with their Serfs and vice versa, and this is the reason Lords Exemplar Marines can interact so well with the common people of the Imperium as they often converse with their Serfs on a daily basis. The Chapter worships St.Silvia Drisus as their patron saint and considers her the embodyment of human courage and dignity, this is a teaching the Paladins enforce regurally and thus many depictions of "The Regal Duchess" can be seen on the Chapters armor, in its litanies, and in the names of many of the Chapters ships. The Naug, vicous xenos beasts native to Dianus Secundus, play an improtant role in the Chapters existance. These marauding beasts posess only a pimal level of intelgence, working in massive hordes and using their brute strength to bring down prey. These ape like beasts have plauged Dianus Secundus since the Dark Age of Technology and over the eons the people of this world had to become both masterful warriors and exellent taticans, as the Naug show some level of preditory cunning. The Imperium realized that without the Naug the people of Dianus Secundus would atrophy, no longer needing to defend themselves against outside threats. Thus when the Lords Exemplar claimed the world as their own, they allowed the Naug to continue their endless raids, so that they would have strong and able recruites. Nuag also play an important role in the Chapters innitation ritual, in which an Asperaint, armed with a weapon that they have no prior training in, usually some form of lasgun or other modern Imperial weapon. With this he must slay no less than five of these beasts at once. Naug are very powerful, and can rip a full grown man apart with ease, and in sufficant numbers, can even slay fully armored Astartes. Thus this is a true test in the Asperiants adaptability, if they can figure out how to use this alien device and slay the beasts, he is worthy. If he is torn to ribbons well... he was not worthy. The Paladin Order The Paladin Order is the highest and most prestigous order of the whole Chapter, these elite Space Marines are all fanaticly dedicated to being the shining example of what a Space Marine should be, loyal, pure, and above all, deadly in all situations. Paladins train in conditons that would kill most Astartes and strive to be ever more in touch with their Emperor, being physically and mentally perfect in every way. This path is not an easy one, even for an Astartes, and is only undertaken by those who are undoubtably pure of soul and mind as well as strong of will and body. Thus Chaplens were origonally made up the the Paladin Order, and after millienia the tradtion became law, to become worthy of Chaplen status, one must first become a Paladin. Later, Librairans also became part of this Order, as the Chapter belives that the rigorus training is the only path their Psyker brothers must take to master the inate chaos of the Warp. The Paladin Order was founded by and is still headed by the Lord Commander, whos purity and skill make him, in the eyes of his battle brothers, equal with their Primarch Roboute Guilliman. Thus all of those within the Order strive to live up to his example and that of their Primarch, perfection in every tatic and great purpose in every motion. The Paladin Order has various ranks and only the most mighty or noble of deeds can elevate one in the eyes of the Paladins: Lord Commander (Chapter Master) Though this Chapter is old and the Lord Commander has led them since their founding, this Space Marine shows no signs of weaking in is ancient age. However, if he fell in battle, the Lords of the Paladin Order would elect a new Lord Commander from their ranks. Only the greatest amongst the Lords Exemplar can become the Lord Commander, and as with any Chapter Master, must embody not just the Chapters ideals but what it is to be a Space Marine, a pinical of combat ability, leadership, and spiritually pure beyond question. Lord (Captian) Lords are the the commanders of the Companies. As such they are each masterful taticans and unstoppable combatants, having centuries of experience behind them and being of the purest faith. Lords are also responsible for maintaing their Companys faith and purity as well as inspiring them to greater feats of valor and nobility. Paladin (Sargent) Paladins are the paragons of the Order, strong, noble, and above all, a tatical genious. Though any Lords Exemplar can formulate stratagies from a command tent or bunker, to a Paladin the battlefield is his command station. He leads his squad of Kinghts with brillant cause and unflinching bravery that would make Guilliman himself proud. However, Paladins must also be free of hubris and know that no one plan survives the feild of war, thus they are constantly formulating and planning even as they wade knee deep in the bodies of traitors and xenos alike. Knight Knights are the backbone of the Paladin Order, each one haveing preformed acts of valor and faith that would impress even Guliliman himself. They bring honor to the Chapter and yet, such victories matter not to the Knights, for the Emperor never cared to gloat in victory, insetead he looked ever forwards, always improving. And thus Knights of the Paladin Order ceacelessly push themelves both on and off the feild, always improving, not for themselves, but for the Imperium. In combat few can match the mastery of Paladin Kinghts, they move across the theater of battle with grace, each motion fluid, each strike flawless. They never falter and even in death they do not waste their momentum, often sheilding a fellow battle brother with their body in their death throws or pinning their killer beinth the considerable weight of their power armored forms. Scribe Scribes are powerful Psykers each and make up the Chapters Libraium, and one cannot be a Libraian without first being a Scribe, as this Chapter holds Warp affiliated beings with great sucspicon. However, once a Scribe, a Librarian is free of any persicution by his fellow, as Scribes are famed as some of the most iron willed and pure individuals within the Chapter. They understand that their powers threaten the very existance of reality, and that kind of power must be weilded as the Emperor weilded his own mighty powers, with regal authority and only for the good of all mankind. Scribes can be found at various ranks within the Order, from Scribe Knight to Scribe Lord. Thus these battle brothers can be both harbengers of doom and great leaders. Squire The Rank of Squire is the lowest in the Paladin Order but are none the less some of the greatest members of the Chapter, each is a Champion in his own right. Squires constantly hone their skills and lead their Battle-Brothers into the fray, testing their mettle against both mighty and devious foes. Only when they prove themselves worthy by deed and deed alone, may they avance to the next coveted rank. Squires usually play the role of both Sargent and Chaplen within the Lords Exemplar Chapter and though novices within the Order, are more than pure and experienced enough to minister and lead their brothers. Relations '''The Inquastion- '''The Lords Exemplar have been scoffed at in the past as the "Inquistiors lapdogs". (a term the Exemplars don't take kindly to) The Chapter serves all branches of the Inquastion obeidently due to the Chapters belife that the Emperor himself founded the organisation and thus that the motives of the Inquastion are His motives and their goals are His goals. Thus the Chapter dose seem to follow the Inquastion blindly, but a few are still wary of Inquisitors who are psykers. '''The High Lords- '''The Lords Exemplar swear totally featalty to the High Lords, and follow their orders without question. In recent times, the Lords Exemplar have worked directly with this ruling councle, eliminating rouge Chapters and cracking down on rebelious Planetary Governers on the behalf of the High Lords. The High Lords in return praise the Lords Exemplar as a shining example of obdeince and loyalty to the Emperor and were the Exemplars not as pure as they were they could probably abuse this status in many ways. It is even rumored that the Chapters very name, Lords Exemplar,(which means Lords Example of Example of the Lords) comes from this close relation to the High Lords. '''The Grey Knights- '''The Lords Exemplar came into contact with the Grey Knights during the Daemon Invasion of Diana Prime and a majority of the Chapter belive them to be overated if not simply overly specialized. During the invasion the Paladin Order and the Grey Knights fought side by side and in spite of the Grey Kinghts highly advanced wargear and elite training, the Paladins were more than match for the daemon host alone, and found the Grey Knights zelous combat style and brute force tatics to be more of a hinderance than support. Regardless they respect the Grey Kinghts purity and overall skill and were allowed to remeber the encounter due to the Lords Exemplars time honored purity. Heros The Lord Commander The Lord Commander is an ancient Space Marine whos battle honors and noble deeds are heralded throughout the Imperium. However, his name has long been lost to history and the title of his office is sufficent enough for most including himself. The Lord Commander has served the Imperiums for eons and has saved countelss worlds from the ravages of Xenos and Tratior alike. He has brough the High Lords justiace to rebelious Sub-Sectors and annihilated xenos hordes in the name of the Emperor himself. His tatical acumen is ledgandary, having once held off an Ork WAAAGH! with nothing more than twelve Paladin Knights and a single Imperial Guard artilery regiment. His exploits in battle are also well documented, having faced two Greater Daemons of Khorn in personal combat and emerged victorius. His Psyker powers are quite potent and he has certainly mastered them over the eons, having litterally torn three Space Wolves apart with nothing but his mind and blowing a Warbosses head off with a wave of his hand. It is widely belived that his psychic potental was unlocked during his duel with the traitor warlord during Dainus Secundis near destruction. The Lord Commander is said to be of an intelecual bend, and deeply philosphical. He has been described by Inquisitors as calm, intlegent, and noble in his actions as well as manner. However, some also describe him as a perfectionist and slightly obsessive, constantly assessing and reassessing his battle plans and often inspecting all groups under his command personally. Relics '''The Lords Fist- '''This remarkable pair of Power Fist are the secondary weapons of choice of the Lord Commander. They have not only the standard disrupter feild but an intricate weapons rack built into them, this allows the fists to swich to various built in weapons mounted on the wrist. The list of arms in this fist are, target seeking missle launchers, a powerful pair of semiautomatic bolters, flamers, lascannons, and sonic blasters. If that were not enough the fists knuckles have retractable power blades and a powerful plasma feild that boils through most materials on contact. The orgin of these fists is unkown and the sheer power and veristilty of them make them fitting weapons for the leader of the Lords Exemplar. '''The Paladin Blade- '''The primary weapon of the Lord Commander, this massive relic blade is always paired with the Lords Fists, as the incresed strength the fists provide is the only way a Space Marine can weild this blade with the speed and grace that the Lord Commander can. The Paladin Blade is said to have been the very sword the Emperor himself used in the Great Crusaides, though this has yet to be proven. It can cleave through any substance and fell beast of the warp and Xenos monstrosities with ease. It is rumored to be a form of force weapon as the Lord Commander is a psyker and this would explain the weapons ability to kill such powerful foes, as it has no disrupter feild. Category:Space Marines Category:Space Marine Chapters